"Austin and Undertaker were concerned" - Kurt Angle confirms backstage tension over WWE signings of three big stars
In this week's episode of "The Kurt Angle Show," the Olympic gold medalist spoke at length about No Way Out 2002, which is remembered for the WWE debut of the New World Order.
Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall were finally brought over to WWE amidst a lot of hype, and Angle confirmed that there was concern backstage amongst the talent over their arrivals.
The former WCW stars had a reputation for indulging in backstage politics. For this reason, WWE veterans like The Undertaker and Stone Cold Steve Austin wanted to preserve the behind-the-scenes atmosphere within the company.
"Well, I heard that Austin and Undertaker were concerned about nWo coming in, and I think because those two, The Undertaker and Austin, were the pillars of the company for the past six years," said Kurt Angle. "I don't think they really wanted anybody coming in and messing up what they had built. So, I think that was one of the concerns that they had. But I'll tell you what they did with the nWo." [35:57 - 36:17]
On This Day in 2002, the NWO arrived in WWE at the No Way Out PPV https://t.co/bId9tZvZ5P
Vince McMahon was aware of the heat on the nWo members and ensured that the promotion sent a solid message to the trio when they were hired after WCW's takeover.
Kurt Angle recalled how the WWE Chairman kept Hogan, Nash, and Hall for an extended taping session that lasted until the early hours of the morning.
"What Vince did that first night, he got them good," Angle recalled. "He really got the nWo good. You don't know about this, Paul, but they had them do pre-tapes. They kept making them do it over and over again, and then they started shooting into the night, until 2 or 3 in the morning. Vince McMahon, I guess, cut them loose at around 4 in the morning. I guess it was just to show those guys, 'Hey, you're not going to mess around here. You're going to take your sh** real serious.' So, I was really surprised to hear that occurred, but I'm not surprised because Vince McMahon always gets the last word." [36:18 - 36:53]
Kurt Angle on the rumors of nWo burying wrestlers
2002: The year the nWo took over @WWE. #nWoWeek https://t.co/k0fKwpVQPj
The nWo was often criticized for overshadowing other talents and storylines during their iconic run in WCW.
Kurt Angle stated that there were "mixed feelings" within the promotion over the trio's signing. Various members of the locker room were discussing controversial stories about Hogan, Nash and Hall. But Angle noted that he personally never witnessed the three stars negatively impact another wrestler's career.
"Oh, there were mixed feelings, I think, because of some things that occurred in the past," said Angle. "I don't really know about them, the personal stories, but, you know the nWo, those guys can be really political, and they can bury some people's careers. I never saw it, to be honest with you, and that was the rumor going around, and that was the talk going around the locker room." [3:40 - 4:02]
What are your fondest memories of the New World Order? Share them in the comments section down below.
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